Relatively small numbers of asylum seekers are involved: UNHCR's Asylum Trends 2012 report said Australia received only 3% of global asylum applications in 2012

"I think there's no disappointment from the Indonesian government," he said.

But opposition Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek said: "It's very important the prime minister discloses the reason that he's really not going, because Australians deserve to know why he's putting further pressure on the relationship with such an important neighbour."